Valve



C. F. PECKHAM.

VALVE. I I APPLICATION FILED JULY 23,1921.- LQ35 55Q.

Patented Nov; 114,, 11922.

- wiineaa' Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

CHARLES E. PEcK AM, or rsovrnnlvcn, Rnonn rsLAivD.

Appiicaubn filed July 23,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLns' F. PECK- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves; and I ;do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertain's to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a valve, and'more particularly to a valve for controlling the emission of a fluid from an orifice of the type wherein the valve is held to its seat to close the orifice by external pressure and. Opened by the fluid pressure within the orifice when the difference between the fluid and external pressure attains a definite value.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved valve of the character indicated, which opens quickly when the requisite pressure difference is reached and is of a construction which may be manufactured at a minimum expense.

The invention consists in the valve'hereinafter described and claimed.

The drawing illustrates the invention as embodied in a differential valve adapted to beused in dry pipe fire sprinkler systems.

It has heretofore been recognized that valves of the general type in which the valve body is held to its seat to close an orifice by external pressure and moved into an open position by the fluid pressure, within the orifice, would not in practice open quickly nor remain completely open when a pre determinedpressure difference between the fluid and external pressure was reached, unless latches, counterweights or intermediate chambers were embodied in the valve con struct'ion to offsetor counteract the pullexerted upon the valve toward its seat resulting from the development of a region of low pressure under the marginal portion of the valve as thefluid flowed thereunder VALVE.

1921. serial No. 487,088.

erates to practically prevent the development of a region of low pressure under the valve, so that when the requisite pressure difference is reached the valve'opens quickly, and, further, the construction of the valve is such that it may be manufactured at a minimum expense.

Referring to the drawing, the fluid is retained within the orifice 10 by a valve disk 12 held to its seat 13 by a comparatively light air pressure within thedelivery chamber 14'of the dry pipe valve. The valve disk 12 is provided with gaskets 16 for forming fluid-tight joints between the valve and its seat. In order to control the movements of the valve as it opens; the valve disk 12 is pivoted upon a pin 20 mounted in the lugs 22 extended upwardly from the valve seat 13, by a link 24 having a slot26 which engages the flattened portion 28 of a. stud 3O riveted to the valve disk 12, as shown in the drawing. During the opening of the valve, the valve disk swings about the pin 20 as a center into the dotted line position. The usual drip passage 33is provided to prevent leakage into the delivery chamber 14.

In order to avoid the development of a region of low pressure under the marginal portion of the valve, a disk42 is secured to the valve disk 12 bylinks 46 pivoted to both the disk 42 and to the valve disk, as shown. iVith the valve seat of the inclination shown, the links 46 are of unequal length and are arranged so that the disk 42'assumes a position within the orifice when the valve is closed and normal to the direction of flow of the fluid therethrough. The disk 42 is of smaller diameter than the orifice so that an annular opening 44 is formed between the periphery of. the disk-and the walls of the orifice, and thelengthsof the are such as to positionthe disk; well within the orifice when the valve is closed. p

il eseri t a hus t v llb olrved th t when. the va v st s t 91 -p t i el-el m n of a rr l e e i d diiference in pressure upon -opposite sides of the valve disk 12, and the valve moves a short distance from its seat, the flow f fluid under the valve during its opening movement is restricted by the annular passage 44 surrounding the periphery of the disk 42. The fluid under a given pressure head within the orifice in its passage through this constricted opening 44 and slight pressure head.

"disk I iluenceotthe we ght of the disk l2, as

along" the orifice sutlel's a loss of pressure head so that the body of lluid flowing under the marginal portions of the valve during the opening movement of the valve possesses small pressure head. As the fluid pas ?s under the marginal portions '5 the valve little or no additional loss of pressure head takes place or can take place. because of the fact that the fluid at this time is under It will, therefore, be apparent that the formation of the region of low: pressure which would in the absence of the disk 42 develop under the marginal portions of the valve during the opening movementthereof is prevented. so that, when sullicient pressure difference is attained be tween the fluid pressure within the orifice and the external pressure, the valve starts to open immediately" and continues to open, swinging about the pin 20 into the dotted line position. The disk 42 swings downwardly as the valve opens and assumes the position illustrated in dottedlines after it has been withdrawn from the orifice so that the'liability of the disk again entering the orifice is to a large extent avoided. The link 24 having the slot 26 which engages the flattened portion 28 of the stud 30 serves to maintain the valve disk 12 and links 4:6 in such position as to permit the iii to swing downwardly under the inthe valve disk 12'1noves into the dotted line position. ln resetting the valve the opera tor inserts his hand through the manhole 50. and positions the disk 42 so that it will enter the orifice.

'The' size of the disk 42 is such to provide an annular opening 4A1 between the periphery of the disk and the wal s ot the orifice ol r-suthcieut size to insure free move-- ment of the disk "through the orifice under all conditions ol. o eration. It is necessary that this clea ance be provided between the disk andthe walls oi. the orifice in order that the disk may be not become corroded and adhere to the walls Tl the orifice, thus preventingthe valve from opening when the predetermined pressuredifference upon the sides of the periphery has been reached. lf urthermore, the size of the opening 44 is such as to cause the fluid, as it flows through the constricted opening ia-l and. along,the walls ofthe orifice, to lose sufficient head because of the restriction to its flow and because of the hydraulic friction encountered sure. By positioning the disk 42 at greater distances from the valve 12, the size of the annular opening 441 may be increased, for the reason that additional loss of head takes place during the flow otthe fluid along the additional length of the walls of the orifice between the disk 42 and the valve.

From the description thus far it will be observed that all parts of the valve are ot standard construction adapted to be manufactured at a minimum expense and that the valve may be assembled easily.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied. in a dilferential valve for-use in dry pipe fire sprinkler systems, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within scope of the following claims:

1. A valve for controlling the emission of fluid from an orifice, comprising a valve body and adisk carried by the valve body at such distance therefrom as to be posivtione'd transversely of and within the orifice during the initial opening movement ofthe valve, the disk being of smaller diameter than the orifice and spaced from the valve body to form a chamber whereby during the initial opening movement of the valve the fluid is caused to flow throughe constricted p ssage between the periphery of the disk and the walls of the orifice and into the chamber between the disk and the valve body, and to suffer a loss of head, thereby preventing the lormationof a region of low pressure under the valve body, and permitting the valve to be instantly and completely opened under the static thrust of the fluid.

2. A differential valve comprising a valve body adapted'to be held to its seat by external pressure and opened by the fluid pressure when a definite difference between the fluid, and the external. pressure is reached, and a disk carried by the valve bodyat such distance therefrom as to be positioned transversely of and withm the orifice during the initial opening movement of: the valve and'to form a chamber between ing the formation ofa region of low pressure under the valve body and permitting the valve to be instantly and completely opened under the static thrust of thefluid.

A valve for controlling the emission of a fluid from an orifice comprising a valve bodyanda disk pivotally connected to the 'valve body at such distance therefrom as to be positioned transversely of and within the orifice during the initial opening movement of the valve, the disk being of smaller diameter than the orifice wherebyduring the initial opening movement of the valve the fluidis caused to now through aconstricted passage between the periphery of the disk and the walls of the orifice, and tosufler a loss of head thereby preventing the formation of a region of low pressure under the valve body, and permitting the valve to be instantly and completely opened under the static thrust of the fluid.

4. A difl'erential valve comprising a valve body adapted to be held to its seat by external pressure and opened by the fluid pressure when a predetermined pressure difference is reached, and a disk pivotally connected to the valve body at such distance therefrom as to be positioned transversely of and within the orifice during the initial opening movement of the valve, the disk being of smaller diameter than the orifice whereby during the initial opening movement of the valve the fluid is caused to flow through a constricted passage between the periphery of the disk and the walls of the orifice, and to suffer a loss of head thereby preventing the formation of a region of low pressure under the valve body, and permitting the valve to be instantly and completely opened under the static thrust of the fluid.

5. A valve for controlling the emission of a fluid from an orifice comprising a valve seat surrounding the orifice, a valve body comprising a flat disk normally held to its seat by external pressure and adapted to be opened by the fluid pressure upon the attainment of a definite difference between the fluid pressure and the external pressure, means for pivotally connecting the valvebody and its seat, including a link provided with a slot and a flattened stud secured to the valve body and having its flattened portion received within the slot in the link whereby the valve body is maintained in such position as to permit the valve disk to pivotally move when the valve is opened,

and a disk pir'otally connected to the valve body at such distance therefrom as to be positioned transversely of and within the orifice during the initial opening movement of the valve, the disk being of smaller diameter than the orifice whereby during the initial opening movement of the valve the fluid is caused to flow through a constricted passage between the periphery of the disk and the walls of the orifice, and to suffer a loss of head thereby preventing the formation of a region of low pressure under the valve body, and permitting the valve to be instantly and completely opened under the static thrust of the fluid.

6: A differential valve for use in a dry pipe fire sprinkler system, comprising a valve casing, an orifice connected therewith and through which water is supplied to the valve casing, a flat valve body normally held in a position to close the orifice by comparatively light air pressure within the valve casing, a disk within the orifice of such size as to form a restricted passage for the flow of water around the disk, and a pair of links pivotally connected to the valve body and disk by which the disk is suspended in a position transversely within the orifice.

7. A diflerential valve for use in a dry pipe fire sprinkler system, comprising a valve casing, an orifice connected therewith and through which water is supplied to the valve casing, a flat valve body normally held in position to close the orifice by com paratively light air pressure within the valve casing, means for pivotally connecting the valve disk to the valve casing, a disk positioned within and transversely of the orifice and of smaller diameter than the orifice, and links by which the disk is suspended from the valve body.

CHARLES F. PECKHAM. 

